Mmmm….The Good Life. They have a pig, grow all their own vegetables and gently mock their neighbours. There’s definitely something to be said about it. My Good Life is kind of limited to a couple of (slow to ripen) tomato plants, a chili plant I saved from the reduced section in Tesco and a courgette plant that has not delivered the glut of giant green beasts I had slightly hoped for, rather more delicate little yellow zucchini that actually complement a salad rather well. Providing you aren’t too hungry though, because there really haven’t been that many.

Imagine my delight when I received a bag full of allotment grown beetroot. “Delight” is perhaps a strong word, but I did get a little excited as I decided what to do with them. I could roast them (with chillies, balsamic and maybe some cherry tomatoes if my plants ever do decide to let the fruit ripen?). I could chip them, cutting them into crisp sized slices and popping them in the oven. Tyrrells can do it, why can’t I? (I did try it. Tyrrells obviously either deep fry them, which would be yummy but rubbish for the diet, or have bigger, hotter ovens. My beetroot chips were a little bit gooey.) But really, there was only one option when you think of beetroot, you pickle them!

People who know me well know that I would happily eat my own mother if she was nicely pickled (no reference to your wine intake mum, I promise!) but I have never tried to actually pickle anything for myself. I love pickles. One of my lifetime highlights was eating McDonalds with 6 other people, who all gave me their burger pickles. Moving to England, it was the discovery of pickled onions that got me through the withdrawal I suffered when decent dill pickle spears were no longer available in supermarkets. Piccalilli is a recent discovery in my world, but by golly it’s a great addition to any boring salad. And don’t even get me started on just how many jalapenos I could actually fit onto my cinema nachos. Pickling my beetroot was clearly the way forward.

I love a good Google and I found my recipe on the Down to Earth blog. It has a really awesome step by step how-to and I have to admit that sterilising the jars in the oven was quite a revelation to me. I mean, seriously – heat kills germs? A whole new world has opened to me. I think I will preserve *everything* that crosses my path now.

Of course I took pictures. Any questions, let me know!

First you boil…

…then you peel (wear your asbestos hands obvs!)….

…slice….

…..and PICKLE!!! Yay!!

I told you I got my hands on a lot of beetroot. More is coming my way. I have already tried to mix it up with a giant jar containing some sliced onion (I found a Polish recipe online. I didn’t follow it but I did steal the onion idea, except I didn’t have a red onion). I might try some chilli beetroot with some homegrown chillies. What else should I experiment with? The Good Life is so on its way…but do I really have to wait til October before I can try it?